Files in a personal computer or other computer are often changed without the user's consent. Many of these changes, in fact, are not desired by the user.
A first set of such undesired changes may include viruses and other similar programs which can infect a user's computer and make changes to the user's computer. These changes can be in many different forms. A destructive virus, for example, may delete files from a computer, either all files or just some of the files. Less destructive viruses may do less intrusive things. Some viruses change file associations.
Like a virus, many application installation programs may also change file associations. This is especially prevalent in music playing programs such as MP3 players. Each file that is installed and is capable of playing a program may change the association. The user is often not given a choice.
Privacy can be compromised through hiding files on the user's personal computer. For example, one of the original types of viruses was the Trojan virus in which a file is stored on the personal computer. That file may cause the personal computer to do certain things, such as acquire information about what the user is doing. Trojans are often simply used for annoyance. However, snooper programs or Spyware programs; may be even more prevalent; these programs may be actuated on the computer by either another program, or by some party claiming to have authority.
For example, an employer may place a snooper program to watch what an employee does during working hours. A spouse may place a snooper program that watches what the other spouse does on the computer when the spouse is not around. Finally, certain programs such as GetRight™ and the like may place snooper programs (often called “AdWare”) that monitor the user's actions, and report back for demographic purposes.
These programs are often very sneaky. They find and monitor information about what the user is doing, and store it in a special file on the computer. The monitoring object, e.g., a person, can either obtain that file over the network, or can actually sit down at the computer and obtain the file.
It is very difficult to guard against such a privacy violation. A user who has intimate knowledge of computer workings may be able to guard against such an intrusion. However, the makers of such programs often stay a step ahead of any way of guarding against them.